Looking back on one full year since Instagram for Android launched

One year on, almost half of all Instagram use comes from Android

Today marks exactly one full year of Instagram on Android. The hipster filter, photo dedicated social network has its fans, and its critics alike. Love it or hate it, it's one of those 'must have' apps for a mobile platform -- just take a look at the number of BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone users screaming out for it. To mark the year, the Instagram team has shared some numbers with us.

Despite the critics, despite the whole #TeamAndroid and #TeamiPhone deal back in the early days, Instagram for Android is booming. Booming to the point where almost half of all use comes from the Android app. Less than a day after launch the app had been downloaded 1 million times, and to date has in excess of 50 million downloads.

Also in that year since we saw the Android launch, there was of course the much debated Facebook takeover that priced Instagram at $1billion. In fact, the Android launch and Facebook takeover all happened within the same week.

Over on the official Instagram blog, the developers have highlighted some pretty awesome looking snaps taken using Instagram for Android, so be sure to head on over and check them out.

Reader comments

Looking back on one full year since Instagram for Android launched

It's sad that Instagram for Android still compresses photos to death, which it does not do on iOS. Any photo with power lines, or other straight lines, end up becoming insanely artifacted when uploading via the Android client. How come nobody has addressed this?

YES!!! I second this! dammit I knew my htv evo LTE wasn't the problem the images look so damn sick in my gallery, cuz I edit with pixlr express, and then on the instagram news feed it loses quality, not as sharp.

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